Airspan Networks Joins ARES Consortium to Bolster European Mission-Critical Communications — Airspan Networks Holdings LLC

Event summary

Airspan Networks has joined the ARES Consortium, a pan-European initiative focused on developing sovereign and resilient communications platforms for defense, public safety, and emergency-response operations.
The ARES network is designed as a hybrid Air-to-Ground (ATG) and satellite communications architecture, leveraging the 2GHz MSS S-band spectrum reserved by the European Commission for critical communications services.
Airspan's expertise in ATG networks, Open RAN technologies, and mission-critical wireless systems will accelerate the development of a scalable and operationally deployable European communications infrastructure.
Regional pilot programs are already underway, with a detailed deployment architecture completed for Europe’s eastern border regions.

The big picture

The ARES Consortium's initiative aligns with Europe's growing emphasis on sovereign communications infrastructure, particularly in defense and emergency-response sectors. Airspan's addition strengthens the consortium's capabilities in scalable wireless networks, addressing critical gaps in secure, high-capacity connectivity across airborne, terrestrial, and maritime domains. This development reflects broader industry trends toward resilient, dual-use technologies designed for rapid deployment in contested environments.

What we're watching

Deployment Pace: The pace at which regional pilot programs will scale across Europe, particularly in high-risk areas like eastern border regions.
Technological Integration: How effectively Airspan's Open RAN and ATG technologies will integrate with existing and planned ARES infrastructure.
Regulatory Alignment: Whether the European Commission's spectrum reservations will adequately support the ARES network's operational requirements.